September 30, 2004

Week Six

Sorry for the absence of a club round up over the last few weeks, work commitments kept me away from a PC.
In the last fortnight it has been a bit mixed but Hawks have come onto a game, GHA have lost a couple and Ayr and Biggar have had mixed fortunes. So let's get on with a look at this Saturday. With Warriors away there are some good match ups for any of you missing games this weekend.

GHA have now lost three on the trot, but still look healthier than last year. I had tipped them as Dark Horses for the championship, but had seriously underestimated the weakness in the pack. Their backline remains outstanding, but they don't get enough ball. Opposition sides can play it tight and dominate, a la Muir 3 weeks ago. Heriots by contrast are not a forward dominated side, the wide field at Goldenacre has always seen a host of backs. Which other side has provided so many great full-backs? However, this could prove a leveller. The Edinburgh side did show they can play in the trenches against Biggar last week, and I think that they will use their pack as a platform early on, before doing the fancy stuff later.

It's a bold man that would have looked at the Prem 1 table at the start of the year and predicted the respective fortunes of the 'Greens' and the 'Maroons' this year. Since they started poorly against Biggar and GHA, Hawick cannot look forward to the visits from the Glasgow sides this year. Some may argue that in the great tradition of the game they will come good, however something stinks in the state of Hawick. With the local 'Trades' failing to fulfill fixtures, the whole town is struggling. It is not the right time to have Ayr visit, they put Gala to the sword with a lot of panache last week, and will want to carry on the good work.

A few seasons back Hawks played Gala at Netherdale in the cup and won 69-21. This could be replicated by a side which is back on song after the opening defeat against Rose. They have a weakness, which is a tendency to play the game at a level which suits their opponents, but I can't see them dropping that low. Gala having played well against GHA in the opener have been shipping points in an alarming fashion. In fact their best chance of avoiding relegation is if they merge with Hawick AND Rose, thus doing away with the need for 2 sides to drop down. The 70+ conceded against Rose will have hurt a lot, but with little more than pride, they will struggle to hurt Hawks.

Ouch, this would be a match to see. Biggar are getting amongst the best crowds in Prem 1, too much can be made of the 'local' tag, Sanft, now there's a Lanarkshire name, but they perform time and again. Rose are playing well, but it is a grudge match, because it matches two Rose heroes, Parker and Chalmers in the coaching slot. In the end, I think that the home advantage will keep it tight.

So County visit a Blues side which is struggling to resurrect the glories of a couple of seasons ago. County are the likeliest side in Scottish Prem rugby to go through a season unbeaten. Blues will lose.

Not the Glasgow derby, Bill McDonald's men are playing well and are certainly worth a watch, can only improve now that some of the returning student players will add depth to a good young squad. Much too much for RHC despite their win over Cambuslang.

Hills by a mile, and with Livi playing Dunfermline, they'll have a double bonus as one of their rivals will fall further behind.

West, where has all the money gone having a bigger playing fund than Hawks still sees the Burnbrae boys dissappoint. Defeat to Dunfermline can be expected but to lose to CQP and not even bother the scorer, well that is pretty mediocre, for a side that should be aspiring to prem 1. That said Cambuslang are poor and West should win by such a margin that the sooside men might want to give up rugby.